The football career of Bacchus Marsh captain Scott Sherlock has come to a shock end.
The Ballarat Football League club announced last week that Sherlock was retiring immediately to undergo back surgery.
Sherlock was as shocked as anyone about the diagnosis.
While he had been battling back soreness for some time and missed the Cobras’ game against Darley, he didn’t expect such an outcome.
“It’s not something you look forward to,” he said.
“I had been playing in pain the last four games, the next day I was bed-ridden and couldn’t get around.
“That’s not good for me or my family. I’m 28 now, there’s a lot more life to be lived.”
Sherlock said his back issues began when he was a child.
He had been to several different practitioners and they all said the same thing, that he could no longer play contact sport.
Sherlock said the hardest thing was knowing that not only was he in really good form, but so was the team.
Until last week, Sherlock was leading the Ballarat Courier player of the year award.
“Bacchus Marsh is such a good club,” he said. “Until five weeks ago, I was feeling fine and in some really good form.”
Sherlock will take on an assistant coaching role and said he would still be at every training session and game helping out.
He said coaching was something he might consider in the future.
Sherlock, who spent several years at Werribee in the VFL, said he was proud of what he had achieved.
Cobras coach Travis Hodgson said Sherlock had a huge influence in his one and half years at the club.
“He only played about 20 games and his impact on field was enormous,” he said.
“He won our best and fairest last year and was leading the league best and fairest until the last vote of the night.
“He had gone to another level and was better this season.
“There’s no doubt Scott is a loss on the field and in the leadership department.”
Hodgson said with Sherlock’s absence, other players would get the opportunity to step up.
He said how the players took on that challenge, would have a say on how far they go this season.
He named Nicholas Stuhldreier, Harrison King and Jacob Chisari as players who might step up. Jackson Bolton, who finished third in the club’s best and fairest last year, returned via the reserves at the weekend for his first match of the year.
Liam Mullen will captain the side for the rest of the season.
